Griffon Alliance
The Griffons Alliance was a small martial government formalized promptly after the Battle of Endor as a means of safeguarding freedom (to its members) and people's ability to mind their own defence. This group operated as an oligarchy, with government directed by equal tribes called stands, headed by an Armiger. They formed an intricate, heavily-martialized society that could best be described as "military socialism" in nature. They were able to draw their populace from many of the Colonies and Core Worlds and employ "Old World" values with exceptional technology. Because of their limited population, a great deal of automation was installed in their day to day life, as each and every member of the society had some kind of connection to military service. Despite their size, the Griffons did much to impact galactic events in the years following the toppling of Palpatine's Empire. They maintained a loose confederation with the fledging New Republic, but never formally created ties to it, viewing the "superpower" as too chaotic and corruptible, and too willing to capitulate to negotiation than to engage itself in armed confrontation when events demanded. Their doctrine began to get the notice of several star systems throughout populated space, from one end of the galaxy to the other, but not in any substantial quantity. The height of the Alliance coincided with the discovery and emergence of Emperor Bacharan Valak's third Death Star, and the Griffons felt motivated to act in the face of the surmounting oppression that was sure to come. Acting in a realm they were ill-equipped to prosper in, that of subterfuge and trickery, they boldly defied the Empire and contributed significantly to the Death Star's eventual destruction. The repercussions would be equally damaging, though, as within three years, the Empire eradicated all vestiges of Griffon's sovereignty. Structure & Culture Government The Griffons Alliance is governed by a regimental oligarchy. The chief of state was known as an Armiger and was a military officer by upbringing, training, and skill. Political matters were handled by an inner council and representatives nominated by that body. There was an unclear division of labor among the Griffon populace, but there wasn't a bonafide caste or stratification system in place like many other cultures employed. Instead, everyone seemed to know and accept their role and would be equally adept at their "civil" duty as well as their martial one. Very little open discrimination existed between the dozens of alien species and economic levels within the Alliance, but there were rumors of some ill feelings here and there. Whatever the case, the Griffons typically exhibited a rather strong, united front to the rest of the Galaxy. The Chief Council The council acted as the supreme executive and legislative body for the Griffons. This body was composed of the primary leaders: the Armiger, the Chief of the Griffon Armada, the Chief of the Armee, the Adjutant of Starfighters, the Chief of Intelligence & Logistics, and the Proconsul of Diplomacy. Also in attendance was the Supervisor of Industry (who was often the head of AEC Shipyards), and the Governor of Cochran. The Armiger appointed all other members and chaired all meetings, yet was himself appointed by the Council. This body was responsible for the largest matters of Griffon day-to-day life. For military matters, the military chiefs would comprise the Inner Circle. The Assembly of Warriors Annually, in a remote forest on Cochran, all members of the Griffon military would convene the Assembly of Warriors. It was used as a forum, inwhich any warrior could, without retribution or consequence, speak their minds on any pertinent matter. Proceedings were closed. Often, the focus was a discussion regarding the state of the Armiger, and if a new one should be chosen. If so, the decision was put to a purely democratic vote. The chiefs in the Inner Circle were chosen in much the same way. The Griffons also treated this as a celebration of sorts, and held athletic and skill contests during the several days of attendence. The Judiciary While legislative powers, as stated before, were held by the Council, judiciary powers were held by a series of courts which were largely independent of the Council. There were no jury trials in Griffon space; instead, each civil trial was heard by three magistrates. Military courts-martial were presided over by a board of five officers of field-grade rank. Above the court or courts-martial was a board of appeals, all heard by three judges. The final form of appeals was a panel of 11 judges, called the Intermediary Council, chosen from both the civil and military orders. Lastly, the Chief Council would take up an appeal, if it so warranted, but this was rare. All death sentences were reviewed by the Chief Council in any case. Sentences were typically stiff, but civil. Treason, murder, rape, and similar crimes met often with death sentences. Repeat offenders are treated harshly, though the entire judicial system (especially as regarding offenses with spice possession and juveniles) was oriented towards rehabilitating the offender so as to preserve their use to the community. Often, a term in the military is offered to repentant offenders, with an eye toward giving them someplace to belong and keeping them out of trouble. Often, these "rescue jobs" made some of the better enlisted personnel, and many excelled at roles such as instructors and trainers. Ideals The Griffons were nearly an entirely spacefaring society. Peculiar attitudes such as mania towards checklists, or a desire by most young couples to have their first born delivered outside the 'gravity well', were rife in populace. A paramilitary education was given to all children, with curriculum tailored to survival, navigation, commerce, and exploration first and foremost. So prevalent was this attitude that the famous anthropologist, Arne Ma'illij, wrote: Territorial Scope At its height, the Griffon Alliance included the star systems of Rhineal (or Rhine), Scythia, Pergalia, Kherpenium, and Montiux. It also had influence upon several other systems of traditionally "galactic" culture, such as Gyndine, Mimban, and Balmorra, but that was more due to their proximity and trade connections. It has been said that the Griffons' interest in the distant system of Kiilaniri and its planet Mutanda — located across the Galaxy near Corporate Sector Authority space — represented both the highwater mark and the beginning-of-the-end for the Alliance. The capital of the Alliance was, since its inception, Cochran, located in the Rhineal star system. It was often colloquially referred to as Cochran de la Rhine. Most of the Griffons' rise to power can be attributed to their use and occupation of a colossal space station they located in the Scythian star system known as Pride-1. History Birthright The machinations that would produce the Griffon Alliance began in the foundation of Palpatine's New Order. Much of the Mid Rim had been ravaged by the Clone Wars, with hundreds of systems changing hands between the then-Republic and the CIS. Removal of CIS vestiges soon became a "cleansing policy", and scores of alien species were stripped of their possessions, subjugated, relocated, or exterminated all under suspicions of having aided or participated in the Confederacy. Several Core and Colony worlds, with stable, racially-integrated societies loyal to the Republic, saw whole swaths of their populations either transfigure under forced segregation or disappear. Activist cells began to be formed, initially to act as advocates on the behalf of the segregated and oppressed. The Ghorman Massacre was the most well-known example of the brutal extent this new Empire would go to enforce their vision of Order, and while it worked to suppress much of the active dissent, it seeded thousands of worlds and cultures to develop underground resistance movements. One such movement congealed on a few industrial planets of the Inner Rim and Expansionist Regions and began performing acts of subterfuge and sabotage, all the while amassing bits of technology into their arsenals. It would be a few years of stressed anonymity until the Corellian Meetings whereupon they would pitch in their support to Bail Organa's plan as a cohesive unit. Their strategist, Hermine Griffith, was fashioned as a general, and these activists quickly became known as The Griffith Griffons. During the forthcoming Galactic Civil War, The Griffons would be dispatched to many theatres, always operating as a homogeneous unit. It came to be rumored that several opponents, either through truce or capture, would be impressed into service in the ever-growing numbers. Whether true or not, the Griffons continued to add to their ranks, and conducted small campaigns throughout Imperial territory, usually in the regions along the Hydian Way towards the Tingel Arm, or in the Colonies, where they had the most resources and hiding places. By the time of the Battle of Hoth, the Griffons were a significant part of Rebel activity. Rumor had it that Cochran was suggested as a possible secret base, or Pergalum, but that Hoth was instead chosen for its extreme remoteness. In order to hide even more effectively during the fallout from this epic battle, the Griffons buried themselves deep in the day-to-day of the Colony and Expansionist Regions, and set up industrial fronts to cover their activities. A few fronts actually developed into legitimate businesses, such as AEC Shipyards, a local starwright that received Griffon sponsorship and flourished. Later the following year, after eluding direct conflict with the Empire, the Griffons were alerted to the construction of a second Death Star by gossip amongst several of their well-placed agents and collaborators in the Bothan Federation. Realizing what this weapon of terror would mean, Griffith immediately proffered his own plan to the Alliance leadership, who took it into consideration. At that time, however, a more cohesive course of action was initiated by Crix Madine and the Mon Calamari contingent of Alliance High Command, and Griffith's plans were dismissed. Griffith, stubborn to a fault, took this as a grave insult, and refused to participate in the operations. During what would become the Battle of Sullust and follow-on, epic Battle of Endor, Griffon units were beginning to rally and assemble in Rhineal and Pergalia systems for what Griffith assumed would be inevitable backlash from a victorious, vengeful Emperor. Instead, the Alliance won a momentous victory, the Emperor was no more, and the chains of order that had held the Empire together were starting to crumble away. Establishment Observing from the wings, Griffith and his cadre of advisers watched the Alliance transition into a formalized government. Griffith was contemptuous towards political machinations, and resolved not to allow his followers, which now numbered around two million, to be "lumped in" with the rest of the "nerfs" or "shaaks". Up until this point, Griffith had retained his Alliance commission, but in a large, fervent ceremony on Cochran (which would form the basis of the annual Assembly of Warriors from then on), he and his entire entourage resigned their commissions by casting them into a military cargo module. The module would later be deposited with New Republic representatives at the Corellia Convention several months later. A few weeks after this event on Cochran, Griffon commerce scouts located a derelict, unwanted space station near Nubia, presumably towed there from the Core for repair but since abandoned. Calling in a favor, they acquired the rights to it for a bargain, and notified the Inner Council. General Tallon took a particular liking to it, and spurred his resources to position it at the central vertex of his newly finished starchart. Extensively mapping the Slice, he had centered his calculations and measurements around the mysterious Scythia star system, and convinced his mentor to relocate the station there, realizing the potential it held for commerce, trade, taxation, and military regulation. In a concerted effort, the entire might of the Griffon technological base set upon the station, and within a year, had brought it up to habitable standards. It was christened Pride-1, and officially recognized as such at the ratifying of the pact between the New Republic and the Griffons at the Corellia Convention. Defending Its Essence By 7 ABY, the Griffons had a thriving culture in the Mid Rim, and had seen a dramatic traffic increase through Tallon's Cut. The Empire, still teetering from the loss of much of their infrastructure, maintained a limited resource pool in Arkanis Sector and neighboring Outer Rim districts, and heard numerous reports of their shipments being taxed, reduced, re-routed, or confiscated as they utilized Tallon's Cut. As it was, the shortcut shaved nearly a week off of travel, but more importantly, it bypassed Nubia, Froz, and Corellia – each New Republic sympathizers at the time which would have assuredly placed embargoes upon shipments if it was discovered they were headed for the Imperial Remnant. Thus, it was decided by the Imperial Interim Ruling Council to acquire and occupy Scythia, and its valuable station, by commencing Operation Stardust. In classic Imperial fashion, several dozen warships arrived in Scythia and immediately neutralized Pride-1's defenses, which, at that time, were sub-par in relation to the station's size. Units from several other galactic governments were present on the station as "goodwill garrisons". Both the New Republic and Caspian Democratic Union contingents suffered miserable losses in the attack, and the majority of Griffons abandoned the station, fleeing to Kherpenium and Pergalia. The Empire claimed the station, and renamed it Orbital Station Redemption. Fruitless headway was made over the next five months on the part of Griffon forces to take Scythia back as their entire culture had been thrown into an uproar. The entire Inner Council was shaken up several times over as one plan after another was suggested, initiated, and then canceled. Finally, after an offer of substantial aid from the New Republic was accepted did the retaking of Pride-1 commence. While they were successful in reclaiming the valuable station, New Republic administration remained to overwatch the reparation, and only ceded full control of the station back to the Griffons at the beginning of 8 ABY. A Shock to the System Little else happened during the next year until A Change in Ethos Whether by the appeal and prompting of its Horansi members, or by some sort of strategically-inspired machination, 10 ABY saw the Griffons extending out beyond the Mid Rim to the world of Mutanda. The planet was the homeworld of the Horansi species and was languishing under the governing by the nearby Corporate Sector Authority. The Inner Council took the matter to vote and a vast host of Griffons endorsed the effort. A sizable Griffon fleet arrived over Mutanda and swiftly engaged the CSA security forces present. While they achieved some manner of victory, the effect was tempered by some CSA presence remaining on the planet and an extended blockade put into effect around most of the system. Despite this, the Griffon leadership sued for recognition of control over the planet to the Empire and the New Republic. In an odd twist, the Empire actually granted joint custodianship to the CSA and the Griffons. The CSA, aghast, protested mightily, but the Empire remained unmoved. They formally acknowledged this decision with the Galactic Confederation Charter. Historians now reveal that the Griffons Armiger of the time, R. "Dragoon" Bruce, was coerced into signing the Charter by Emperor Valak when the threat of the Death Star was loomed over him. Despite capitulating to the Charter, the Griffons still regarded themselves independent and a viable, political wildcard. Speculations began to be formed as to how to counter the Death Star, stoked by paranoia that the dreadful battlestation would eventually materialize in Griffon territory. No more than half a year passed before agents of the Alliance were seeking out members of New Republic Intelligence so as to prepare some means of eliminating the Death Star. Defiance and Paying the Price The close of 10 ABY brought crucial information from the the ranks of smugglers regarding the Death Star's whereabouts. Plans were immediately undertaken to deal with the battlestation once and for all. The Griffons, with their aptitude and skill with automation, and their access to numerous elder starships with modular repair facilities, tabled a daring proposition to assault the Death Star using several thousand starships as ramships. The ships would either be slaved together, remotely controlled, or piloted by "remora teams" — crews of a few volunteers who would steer the ship on its collision course and then escape to an attached lighter as fast as they could. Several Republican officers saw it as absolutely ludicrous and wasteful; nevertheless, the plan was approved and the starships rounded up and prepared. The assault on the third Death Star did indeed succeed, but at a grievous cost. It took nearly a thousand starships to overwhelm the battlestation, and the Griffons alone lost over 20,000 dead. Worse, this brought the wrath of the Empire squarely down upon the Alliance. After dealing with an attempt to wrest power away during the fallout from the Death Star's loss, the Empire would exact its revenge upon the Griffons. Beginning with the Battle of Mutanda, Imperial forces repaid the Griffons by taking them apart world by world, culminating in the destruction of Pride-1 and the occupation of Scythia. Rejoining the New Republic With their greatest asset and main source of revenue destroyed, the Griffons were in a state of peril. Warships could no longer be built, repaired, or maintained, and no commodities or resources were on hand to market or utilize. The Empire now occupied Scythia and Pergalia, Montiux was cut off, and there were limited avenues to and from Rhineal and Kherpenium. The very network of routes that General Tallon had arrogantly defied the galactic community by creating were now failing the Griffons. All the once-proud warriors had left was Cochran, their treasure world. The Griffons lacked good leadership at a time they needed it most. Arminger Penta was unable to lead the Griffons forward. Some in the leadership were filling multiple possitions. The talent deficit was so severe that the head of Griffon Intelligence and Logistics (Zeak Oppenhiemer) was an Imperial defector who had not completed his first year with the Griffons; the then ambassador to the New Republic, Gyzen Bel had recently been court martialed for desertion. Several voiced the opinion that the Griffon Armada should leave Rhineal and Kherpenium entirely, and head either into the Core (or into CSA territory) so as to wage war "within the enemy's heart" as they once had. Oppenhiemer was a major voice in this category. Others felt that seeking aide and support from other independent entities was in order. Still more, though, thought that the best course of action was to appeal to or even join the New Republic once again; Gyzen Bel was among the notable voices advocating this position. The camps were fairly equally divided. In this chaotic environment, Oppenhiemer engineered the ouster of the Armiger by the Assembly of Warriors in 11 ABY. Following Armiger Penta's removal, the Chief Council's deliberations were dominated by what direction to take, not who to appoint. Oppenhiemer argued strenuously against a closer relationship with the New Republic, then headed by Peshk Vry'lya, forwarding the argument of corruption within the New Republic government. His argument even included intelligence breifings which had previously only been shared with Armiger Penta which indicated ties between Vry'lya, Gyzen Bel, the shadowy figure Tyler McBride, and that the Astroid Kappa had survived and was being still used by McBride and the Bothans as a base of operations. Lastly he presented evidence linking the group to the escape of Emperor Bacharn Valak from New Republic custody. While many found it convincing, the Council choose to pursue closer relations with the New Republic and by a narrow vote the council named Ba'el Korr Arminger. Korr's Armingership would be short. While details are (publically) somewhat sketchy, members of pro-independace faction accuse Korr and Ba'el of using their alliance with Vry'lya and McBride to threaten their families and standing within the Griffon Alliance. These events led to Zeak Oppenhiemer and a few thousand officers and enlisted (along with their children) to leave the Alliance and set up a community in exile on the Caspian Kitchnar Orbital Station; here they would continue the authentic Griffon existance. Oppenhiemer managed to find the resources to take over a large section of the living sections, which became known as little Pride. Korr appointed Gyzen Bel to lead negotiations with the New Republic. As the relationship became closer this would eventually lead to Bel being appointed to the Armiger-ship. Bel promptly reinforced Cochran, doing his best to insulate it while seeking the aide of the New Republic Senate. Not one to wholly trust the typically inefficient Senate, though, he re-established his familiar relationships with the Bothan Federation. Soon, the Middle Rim Treaty Organization (MRTO), a regional organization gathering all worlds within the Middle Rim (except the Hapes Consortium and the Caspian Union), was created. Within a year after Penta's removal, Bel would be the last Arminger and bring the Griffon Alliance into the New Republic. With the Griffons Alliance now a member of the New Republic, military units and resources began to arrive to reinforce Griffon territory. Some of Cochran's vast wealth was divested to New Republic coffers, but the majority of it was kept under wraps. Griffon SATs also began to pay off this new debt by serving their new allies, proving their worth alongside New Republic Marine and Army units during the Fourth Battle of Coruscant. Historical Notes: The Armed Services The militaristic nature of the Griffons is arraigned around three entities, or divisions. ''See Griffon Armada for the naval starships and starfighters.'' ''See Spaceborne Assault Trooper Armée for the soldiers of the Griffons.'' ''See Griffon Auxiliaries for all support and secondary units.'' Rank Structure Navy SATs Government Intelligence Corporate Civilian 11. Admiral 9. General 7. Armiger 8. Colonel 7. CEO 3. Distinguished Citizen 10. Commodore 8. Colonel 6. Inner Council 7. Lt Colonel 6. COO 2. Citizen 9. Captain 7. Lt. Colonel 5. Governor 6. Major 5. Department Head 1. Civilian 8. Commander 6. Major 4. Ambassador 5. Captain 4. Executive 7. Lt. Commander 5. Captain 3. Representative 4. Lieutenant 3. Supervisor 6. Lieutenant 4. Lieutenant 2. Delegate 3. Senior Agent 2. Senior Employee 5. Sublieutenant 3. Sergeant Major 1. Aide 2. Agent 1. Employee 4. Ensign 2. Sergeant 1. Trainee 3. Chief Petty Officer 1. Private 2. Petty Officer 1. Spaceman Medals & Awards * Iron Bar - Awarded for heroism including voluntary risk of life during non-combat operations. * Bronze Star - Awarded for exeptional heroism or achievement during operations. (including combat) * Silver Star - Awarded for gallantry of action or exeptional bravery under fire from a hostile enemy force. * Gold Star - Awarded for extraordinary heroism in connection to military operations against an opposing enemy force. * Gamma Starbust - Awarded for extraordinary heroism including voluntary risk of life under fire and against an overwhelming enemy force. This is the highest honor confered by the Griffon Alliance. (It is roughly equal to the medal of honor) * Crimson Bar - This medal is awarded to military personel injured or killed as a result of enemy action. * Silver Tallons - Defense Service Medal. Awarded to individuals who have distinguished themselves in the performance of the day-to-day duties that contribute to security of the Griffon Alliance. (i.e. routine duties like patrolling, recruiting or helping the new guys) OOC Notes The Griffon Alliance was one of the "Original Six" factions within the MUSH, of equitable size and role to the Caspian Democratic Union. Through plotlines and events (IC), and due to significant dropoff in player enrollment, the faction was eliminated in 14 ABY. IC vestiges of its existence remain in the exile community on KOS and in the history of some NR fleet assets. Category:Governments Category:Organizations